Citalopram and Hair Loss (Does it happen to Everyone?)

In this brief guide, we will look at the relationship between Citalopram and hair loss, and also look at some related topics like Citalopram side effects, Lexapro hair loss, and a list of antidepressants that cause hair loss. We will also consider how to reverse the hair loss from antidepressants. 

Citalopram and Hair Loss

Citalopram and hair loss are related in two ways: first, citalopram may cause hair loss in some people, and second, citalopram may actually help with hair loss in some people, when used in conjunction with another medicine (triamcinolone).

It is not a well known fact that citalopram and hair loss might have a positive relationship instead of the more well known one of hair loss being a side effect of citalopram, but a few studies have in fact shown that when citalopram is used in a specific way and in interaction with other medication that is supposed to reduce skin or scalp inflammation, it aids hair regrowth.

These studies about citalopram and hair loss have actually inspired more researchers to look into antidepressant therapies for hair loss in people suffering from Alopecia and related illnesses.

It is not clear why antidepressants help with hair regrowth at all, in certain cases, and why in other cases antidepressants like citalopram and hair loss may be negatively related, but some specialists suggest it may be because antidepressants affect the levels of serotonin in the body, which may lead to a change in the hair growth patterns.

In most cases of depression where the patient is taking citalopram it has been observed that the side effect is commonly hair loss and not hair regrowth, which makes it fairly clear that if citalopram and other antidepressants are at all capable of causing hair regrowth, they cannot do that on their own.

It has also been theorized that the human skin can produce serotonin which can be turned into melatonin, which in turn can help with hair regrowth, which opens up possibilities for people taking citalopram.

Before you take Citalopram you may want to read some Citalopram reviews by people who have taken Citalopram or who are currently taking Citalopram.

You will see reviews about how long Citalopram stays in the system from the point of view of the person taking the drug or how long they felt Citalopram took to kick in.

If you’re facing this, it may be a good idea to seek the help of a therapist or other mental health professional. You can find a therapist at BetterHelp who can help you learn how to cope and address it.

Citalopram Side Effects

Like every medicine, citalopram has side effects, and some of the common as well as uncommon side effects of citalopram are given below:

• Dry mouth 
• Loss of appetite
• Tiredness
• Drowsiness
• Excessive sweating
• blurred vision and yawning 

One must tell their doctor right away if they have any of the following symptoms, as they may indicate more serious problems:

• Shaking (tremor)
• Decreased interest in sex
• Changes in sexual ability
• Easy bruising/bleeding.
• Fainting
• fast/irregular heartbeat
• black stools
• throw-up that looks like coffee grounds
• Seizures
• eye pain/swelling/redness
• widened pupils
• Vision changes (such as seeing rainbows around lights at night).

How to reverse hair loss from Citalopram?

Usually, hair grows back on its own once you stop taking citalopram, but if it is not happening for you for some reason, here are some things that your doctor might use to reverse hair loss from citalopram:

• Finasteride (Propecia)
• Minoxidil (Rogaine)
• Biotin

One may need to talk to a pharmacist or their doctor before taking any of these medicines, and they may be used for an extended period of time to reverse some of the hair loss that may have happened due to citalopram.

In some cases, Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids have also been linked to the reversal of hair loss that happened due to citalopram.

Another thing that may come in useful in trying to reverse hair loss may be pumpkin seed oil, which many people have found to be quite effective in aiding hair regrowth.

Lexapro And hair Loss

Lexapro is another antidepressant that has been linked to hair loss, and it also belongs to a class of SSRIs that seem to cause hair loss in some people.

Lexapro has not been shown to cause as much hair regrowth in conjunction with other medication as citalopram, and it has been seen that lexapro and hair loss are related in a negative way.

Aside from hair loss, the other symptoms of Lexapro are similar to that of citalopram, like dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, mild fever, blurred vision or gastrointestinal problems.

Citalopram and Hair Loss Reddit

Here are some experiences of people about Citalopram and hair loss from Reddit:

“Hi! I suffer from depression & anxiety. For a little over 2 years I’ve been on Citalopram being on 5-10mg for the first year then my psychiatrist who doesn’t really understand me and who I see very little pushed me to up my dose when I didn’t feel comfortable with the medication. I’m someone who has pretty good intuition, but also I’m also that person who’s body is extremely picky with medications because I always get the side effects (badly).

Ever since my dose was raised to 25-30, in December (which I stopped at 30 because I felt like a zombie) I noticed that my hair has been thinning. My life isn’t that bad right now and with COVID-19 and me loving being at home I think it’s a great time to lower my dose and maybe try something new…but also I hate what Citalopram has done to me at this dose and I have to stop.

4 days ago I went from 25 mg to   and there is a considerable amount of hair loss. I’m sure that it will be back soon but I’m still scared of course. It was thin like this before when I was raised to other doses than when close to not that bad but not anywhere near back to normal.

I’ve called for an appointment with my NP on Monday, I should’ve told her about it before but I just went crazy and HAD to cut down. My therapist also suggested if I can to get blood work done to check for hyperthyroidism and iron deficiency. Which is a good idea but I’m confident that this is a step in the right direction”

“I didn’t have hair loss but I changed form Celexa 40 mg maybe I think to Lexapro and it was pretty ok, same family but supposedly less side effects due to the chirality of the molecule or something. Either way I’d get a new Dr that you are comfortable seeing like once a month at least for start until you end up on maintenance. There is no harm in asking for Ativan or lorazepam for when you get high anxiety if you only get it here and there and don’t need a high dose of your regular daily”

“Has anybody experienced eyebrow hair thinning/loss as a result of citalopram?

My brother was taking it for a while, and has had severe eyebrow loss, and when I started taking it, I started experiencing the same thing after the same amount of time on the drug. I   want to stop taking it, because it really helps. But I also feel bad about losing my eyebrow hair.

So to anyone taking this, does your eyebrow hair come back after you stop it? Has anybody else even experienced it?”

“According to the Australian product information for citalopram, alopecia (hair loss) is an uncommon side effect. According to this case study, Centrum Silver multivitamin is thought to contribute to reversing the hair loss caused by citalopram, but your best bet is to report this side effect to your doctor, so they can switch you to a different antidepressant.”

“Hi, have you had any luck with the doctor? I’m 35, I took citalopram and lost my eyebrows and my beard began to thin out about a year later, I heard citalopram has fluoride in it and that can cause thyroid problems, eyebrow loss is a symptom. Doctor hasn’t done much to help me yet though, not sure what to do now”

“My eyebrow hair loss stopped (I think, maybe it just slowed down) after I stopped citalopram cold turkey. But now my regular hair is falling out, probably because I did stop it abruptly. I do remember reading eyebrow loss as a symptom of thyroid problems.

Did you get blood work done to test for thyroid problems? I think I’m going to do that. Do you know if thyroid hair loss is permanent.”

“Yup, perhaps finding an antidepressant that doesn’t have fluoride would be beneficial. Are you on anything now? I went from citalopram to Zoloft. I started experiencing hair loss and thought it was due to the Zoloft, but as I am still experiencing it on Paxil(sp?) so I think it was the sudden stoppage for about a week that caused it. I just googled Zoloft and paxil, and both seem to have fluoride in them.”

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we looked at the relationship between Citalopram and hair loss, and also looked at some related topics like Citalopram side effects, Lexapro hair loss, and a list of antidepressants that cause hair loss. We also considered how to reverse the hair loss from antidepressants. 

Antidepressants and their relationship to hair loss is well documented in literature, but in some cases they have also helped people, which means that there is certainly a need for further research to determine how this problem may be stopped.

Citalopram and hair loss has been studied a lot and while some studies say that it helps, others say that it can further hair loss.

If you have any questions or comments about the conflicting nature of information regarding citalopram and hair loss, you can reach out to us at any time.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Citalopram and Hair Loss

Citations

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC181211/#:~:text=Citalopram%20selectively%20inhibits%20the%20reuptake,associated%20with%20clinical%20antidepressant%20effects.&text=In%20some%20cases%2C%20it%20appears,of%20the%20antidepressant%20is%20increased.

https://www.verywellmind.com/antidepressants-and-hair-loss-1067344

https://www.practiceupdate.com/content/citalopram-for-alopecia-areata-and-comorbid-major-depressive-disorder/3535

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjV19iRrdXsAhXbZSsKHUTcBTQQFjABegQIBhAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthline.com%2Fhealth%2Fmedications-that-cause-hair-loss&usg=AOvVaw10yLS8XS7C70rhDGzqlZWN

https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-1701/citalopram-oral/details

https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/hair-loss/drug-induced-hair-loss-2#2